Saturday, July 20, 2013

Common Core Reading & StoryMap

 I've tied the reading standards to story maps to give students an unique opportunity to engage with the standards.

There is one activity for each main standard.

  • Central Ideas
  • Compare Approaches
  • Read and Comprehend
  • Delineate and Evaluate
  • Developing Ideas
  • Inferences and Evidence
  • Integrate and Evaluate
  • Interpret and Analyze
  • Point of View and Purpose
  • Structure and Relationships

Download a zip file of all the activities

Wednesday, May 08, 2013

Interesting Facts: Authors, Words and Books

Thanks to a recent email from a friend who knows I love cool and quirky facts, I found yet more...cool and quirky facts from the fun folks at Mental Floss.  Some of these could be excellent fun as we approach the end of another school year.

Twain's Typewriter
Authors and Their Typewriters
I'm thinking this is a great way to talk about the creative process and the tools you use.  I still love writing ideas down in a small notebook, even though I'm a self-proclaimed techno-geek.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/21979/quick-10-10-authors-and-their-typewriters

Authors and DIDJAKNOW?
Now these are just fun things that make you say, "Hmmmm."
Thoreau....yoga master...REALLY?!?  Apparently, yes! http://mentalfloss.com/article/50408/henry-david-thoreau-yoga-master

Making Up Words? 
According to my students, I'm famous for this skill.  They named my language "Duke-ish." Ol' Sir Isaac Newton himself invented his own language.  That's not bad company! http://mentalfloss.com/article/50461/language-isaac-newton-invented

And if you want to be proper, here's a spelling and grammar video for you. http://mentalfloss.com/article/50485/38-common-spelling-and-grammar-errors

Spendy Volumes
Here's a stack of books that will cost a little more than those you find at the yard sale! http://mentalfloss.com/article/50220/8-rare-books-cost-fortune

Monday, April 01, 2013

The Great Watermelon Conundrum of 1978

 Summers were great fun in the deep south! Afternoon stiflingly sticky heat was often quenched with the timely arrival of the ice cream truck as you hear “The Entertainer” tune from far away…plenty of time to plead with Mom for 50 cents! Often those summers included family journeys to the lake house or our family farm. 


memapopie

My Popie, my Dad’s father, grew up doing quite a bit of farming on the family acreage in Branchville, AL. My brother, my cousin and I would often jump in the back of the truck and “help out,” especially at harvesting times. One summer Popie decided to let us help plant. He had done all the heavy lifting (plowing, fertilizing and such) and called us in for the fun stuff…seeds!


He always planted the usual suspects so that our winters were filled with my Mema’s canned beans, peas, okra, corn, tomatoes and such…included in the annual plantings were those delicious watermelons that were just the thing you needed after a day boating and swimming in the lake…cracked open on the porch like manna from Heaven. A little shade, a breeze and sweet watermelon still makes me smile.


Okay so the process was simple. He gave each of us a row and a small handful of seeds (dozen or so). We each looked at the paltry pile and said, “Popie, this is not enough seeds! Can we please have more? We want to have plenty of watermelons.”

He replied, “Oh, now, that’s plenty of seeds.”

“But Popie….”

“Well, okay, but if you plant ’em, you’ve got to pick ’em!”

“Oh YES! No problem, Popie! We’ll pick ’em!”



So with that we scampered into the field to plant our personal crop of melons. As the time goes by we look at the plants grow…and grow….and grow. Seems that we had the perfect mix of rain and sun that year for a bumper crop! Before we knew it, it was time to pick melons! We hauled in melons all day and enjoyed the bounty on the porch along with a few neighbors and friends. (By the way did you know standard melons weigh about 20 pounds each?) We were so proud! Another bit of time goes by and Popie calls, “We need to go to the farm. More melons!” 


Excitedly we go haul in another bounty! Now this was fun the first two trips but after that…not so much. By the time the season was done we must have filled his pickup truck three times with watermelons. We couldn’t give them away, we had so many! 


Lesson learned!!! Needless to say, we didn’t volunteer for watermelon duty the next summer!


blairfarmrd

The story brings home some personal geography and understanding crops. Geography, math and spatial awareness are key to really understanding the watermelon conundrum. If you have a row that is 100 yards and you plant the entire row six inches per plant, how many plants will you have? Given the standard yield of the crop, how many pounds of melons will you harvest? Will you have the same crop yield in Maine as you do in Alabama? Why? What weather do you need for optimal growing?


Also, what a valuable story! Take these opportunities to bring students’ personal life into English Language Arts class! What is the story in agriculture? What literature gives us a new look into agriculture? Also look into the Ag in the Classroom resources. http://www.agclassroom.org/

Little did I know that my grandfather was instilling in us spatial concepts, math and geography along with some valuable life lessons! Thank you Popie!


Visit the map version of the tale!


If you’re inspired to grow some watermelons, here’s some info to get you started!

http://www.gardenersnet.com/vegetable/watermel.htm

http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/vegetable/growing-watermelon.htm


ashhomestead



Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Reading, Writing and Thinking for Any Gadget

book cover image for reading, writing and thinking around the globe
I've been busy making books accessible in multiple formats over the last few months.  My book is now available in digital PDF, Kindle and of course the good ol' print version.  In the coming weeks look for all the Carte Diem Press titles in multiple digital formats for your easy access to geospatial curriculum!

The whole team at GISetc is working hard to bring you everything you need to be geospatially successful in your environment...great deals on Esri Press books, buttons and fun stuff as well as solid lessons and activities for any age or environment.  We even encourage you to get outdoors with our GPS books!


Worried about the standards and how you can integrate geospatial technology and geography? Then, worry no more!  We have you covered on the standards as well!  All of our books are aligned to the Technology, Geography and Common Core ELA standards!

If you need books in bulk, they've got you covered too!  Just zap an email to the staff and they'll quote you a bulk discount.

Stay posted on all the latest from GISetc as well as free resources by liking our Facebook page or joining the list to get the latest info and resources once a month or so.